ARCTIC EXPLORERS Group of correspondence relating to Arctic explorers, including Franklin, John ...

ARCTIC EXPLORERS Group of correspondence relating to Arctic explorers, including Franklin, John and James Ross, Parry, Back, McLintock, and others, comprising: Autograph letter signed ('John Franklin'), to Mr Portland in Paris ('My dear Mr Portland'), discussing his social plans for the summer, thanking him for his congratulations on being awarded the Gold Medal of the Geographical Society of Paris, grateful for their '...flattering testimony in favour of my humble services...', has been presented with '...an elegant snuff box...' by the Duke d 'Orleans, and asking him to place a notice of thanks in the French papers, asking that the valuable Gold Medal be forwarded to him via the Ambassador '...to the care of Mr Backhouse, Under Secretary of State Foreign Office...', on sending Mr Brongniart's paper to Parry in the hope he will support him, mention of Miss Parry, etc., docketed on integral address panel, 4 pages, dust-staining and marks, remains of red wax seal, seal tear, creased, lower corner of first page excised, 4to, Devonshire Street, 8 June [1829]; with two autograph letters signed ('Jane Franklin') to 'My dear Admiral' and 'My dear Colonel Gawler', both making arrangements to dine, the first commenting '...I know you are fond of Bishops & they of you...', the second '...our family party consisting only of Sir James & Lady Ross & our 2 selves...', 2 pages, folded, 12mo, Park Place, 'Thursday...', 'Friday Morning/ 18th March' Autograph letter signed ('John Ross') to Viscount Palmerston ('My Lord'), marked 'Private', sending news from Berlin, that Count de Groeben insists there is a secret treaty between Russia, Prussia, Austria and Holland constructed by Princes Wittgenstein, Menchikoff, Metternich and Orange, giving details of '...a great review of troops...' on the frontier of Silesia ('...The Emperor will be at St Petersburg on the 13th and will continue there exercising the fleet during the Summer...'), passing on a comment that '...he should like to have a tryal [sic] with the English, they might perhaps beat him at first but he had no doubt that at last he would beat the English...', that English, Belgian and French diplomats were being excluded, giving details of the Prussian fleet ('...The feeling of the Court and those in Power is much in favour of Russia and they talk of having the Rhine as a Boundary at no distant Period, they consider that Belgium will not be long in Existence... but... the mass of the People is hostile to Russia, as it is to France...'), giving details of shipping and arms, including an armament manufactory in Potsdam, and that his presence is excused by him supposedly being on his way to Russia to built his ship, docketed on reverse, 3 pages, dust-staining and marks, particularly on reverse where exposed, creased at folds, 4to, Berlin, 5 June 1835 Autograph letter signed ('W.Parry'), to 'My dear Sir', sending a translation of the Persian Princes ('...the greater part of the 1st volume is dull – the rest, as you say, funny...'), docketed on reverse in a later hand 'Sir Edward Parry/The Arctic Traveller', one page cut from a larger sheet of mourning paper, dust-staining, creased at folds, 8vo, Admiralty, 12 November 1839; autograph letter signed ('Geo Back'), to 'My dear Campbell', changing an arrangement as he has to sit for a portrait; with fragment of last paragraph of a letter to Mr Campbell ('...I shall see more of my friends at home... you hold a foremost place...'), signed ('Geo Back'), 4 pages, dust-staining and marks, creased at folds, 12mo and 8vo, London, 'Friday' and [n.p, n.d.]; autograph letter signed ('F.L. McLintock'), to Mr Ladds ('Dear Ladds'), laid up with a strained sinew in his leg, discussing how '...It is probably that one of the Lights Committee will have to go in the Galatea to escort the Queen...' but that he is unable to do it, ending by hoping Galatea's trial went well, two pages, creased at fold, left hand edge slightly excised with partial loss of one letter of text, 8vo, Atherstone Terrace, S.W., 26 February [18]89; autograph letter signed ('James Ross') to S.D. Knole Esq. ('Sir'), agreeing to his request, one page, some marks, creased at folds, 8vo, Aston House, 20 December [18]47; with envelope addressed to Lady ?Cuil docketed ('Ross') in pencil on reverse; two autograph letters signed ('R.King') to John Philippart ('My dear Sir'), declining to write a review ('...it would be an act of injustice to Sir John Barrow & to the public...'), and other matters, dust-staining and marks, some damage from adhesive, 8vo, Statistical Society of London, 3 March and 15 April [18]46 (collection) Footnotes: A miscellaneous group of correspondence representing the greatest names of Arctic exploration. Amongst the collection is a letter from John Franklin (1786-1847), written after returning from his second Arctic expedition in April 1827, an expedition that '...made a significant contribution to Arctic geography. A sizeable portion of the coast of Arctic North America had been surveyed, and important data on geology, meteorology, topology, and magnetism had been collected...For the next two years Franklin was fêted as Arctic hero...' (B.A. Riffenburgh, ODNB). In the year of our letter, 1829, he received a knighthood from George IV and was awarded a gold medal from the Société de Géographie de Paris, the safe transport of which is discussed in our letter. Another fascinating letter comes from John Ross (1777-1856), written to Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmerston in 1835, in the little-documented years between Ross's return from his second Arctic expedition of 1829 and taking up the post of British consul in Stockholm in 1839. It would appear that Ross was in Berlin sending secret despatches back to Palmerston, at a time of political mistrust in Europe following the Quadruple Alliance of 1834. In a detailed report, he expresses fears for the expansion of Russia and will put his knowledge of surveying to good use on a trip to Copenhagen where '...I have no doubt that I shall obtain a complete knowledge if not a survey of the harbour... a calculation has been made of a flotilla to cost 3 millions of dollars!...'. Travelling under cover, ostensibly to oversee the building of a ship in Russia, Ross manages to allay the suspicions of Grand Duke Michael, reassuring Palmerston that '...my excuse was too good...'. Provenance: Private collection, UK. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing